Thieves steal tax data for 100,000 from an IRS website
You might need to keep a closer eye than usual on your tax-related info. The Internal Revenue Service is warning that intruders stole tax data for 100,000 people between February and May by taking advantage of a flaw in the agency’s transcript website. The evildoers successfully circumvented a security check that asks for static info like your Social Security number and tax filing status. The IRS is temporarily shutting down transcripts and says that its main servers are safe, but this could lead to the culprits filing for bogus tax refunds and getting victims in trouble.
The kicker? Security researchers have known about vulnerabilities in the transcript service for a while. It’s not hard to bypass those identity checks if you’re willing to find stolen personal information on the black market, and it’s frequently possible to guess the right answers using educated guesses or number generators. Frankly, it’s surprising that a breach on this scale didn’t happen sooner — the IRS will likely need to implement passwords or other changeable safeguards to prevent crooks from simply walking in the front door.
[Image credit: Moment Editorial/Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet
Source: AP (ABC News), IRS
Verizon’s Edge program gets some much needed changes, upgrades now simpler
Verizon’s early upgrade program known as Edge has gone through some significant changes today, making it easier for the customers to upgrade to a newer device. According to these new amendments to the policies, customers can pay the full amount of their smartphone and then immediately upgrade to a newer device.
Previously, users were required to pay up to 75% of the amount of the existing smartphone, wait 30 days, trade-in their handset and only then upgrade. But now by paying the full amount instead, you can upgrade your phone right away and even get to keep your existing handset.
These changes will take into effect starting May 31, so Edge customers can finally upgrade to a new phone if they pay the full cost of their smartphone. These changes certainly make it a lot more simpler and convenient for the consumers.
Do you welcome the new changes made to the Edge program by Verizon? Sound off below.
Source: Verizon
Come comment on this article: Verizon’s Edge program gets some much needed changes, upgrades now simpler
Microsoft partners with LG, Sony and 18 other OEMs to bring Office apps to more Android tablets
Microsoft is no stranger to pre-installing its applications on various Android tablets across the market. Just two months ago the company partnered with Samsung, Dell and eight other OEMs to pre-install Microsoft Office and Skype on the companies’ Android tablets. Now a whopping 20 more tablet makers are being added to the list, including big names like LG and Sony. Specifically, Microsoft details that Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype will be present on an unnamed LG tablet, as well as the recently-announced Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet.
Read more: Microsoft Office for Android review
Here’s the full list of OEMs that will pre-install these applications on their Android tablets:
- Axdia International GMBH – Germany
- Cube – China
- DL – Brazil
- General Procurement – United States
- Grupo Nucleo – Argentina
- Haier – China
- Inco – Mexico
- Ionik GBMH – Germany
- Iview – United States and Latam
- LG – Global
- Multilaser – Brazil
- Noblex – Argentina
- Pacific (Vulcan) – Mexico
- Philco – Argentina
- Positivo – Brazil
- Prestigio – EMEA
- Sony – Global
- Teclast – China
- TMAX Digital – North America
- Wortmannn – Germany
There’s no denying that Microsoft has some pretty powerful software when it comes to its Office suite. If you were planning on buying a tablet sometime soon, would the addition of pre-installed Microsoft apps turn you away from the purchase? Or would you prefer it? Let us know what you think!
iOS 9’s Upcoming Transit Addition to Maps May Be Limited in Scope at Launch
Apple has been working on adding mass transit routing information to its Maps application for several years, and while the feature appears to be ready to debut as part of iOS 9, it could be limited in scope at launch. The transit service may initially be available only in a small number of cities across the United States, Canada, Europe, and China when iOS 9 is released to the public, according to sources that spoke to 9to5Mac.
San Francisco and New York are said to be two of the locations in the United States where transit directions will be available. Both major cities are known for their public transportation options. In Canada, Toronto will likely gain transit routing options in the Maps app, as will London, Paris, and Berlin in Europe. Cities in China will also be included in the initial launch.
Apple is planning to expand access to transit information to additional cities following the fall launch of iOS 9, and cities that the company is hoping to add support for in the near future include Boston, Massachusetts and Tokyo, Japan, among others. Apple will likely work quickly to expand the feature even further across the rest of 2015 and into 2016.
Mass transit routing options have been missing from Maps since 2012, when Apple’s native mapping system first replaced Google Maps in iOS 6. Transit directions were initially expected as part of iOS 8, and hints of transit options were indeed found in iOS 8 documentation, but organizational issues and staff shortages allegedly delayed the feature’s release.
Apple’s acquired many mapping-related companies since it introduced its Maps app, including transit apps HopStop and Embark, and in recent years, the company has also been expanding its in-house routing team as it furthers its work on the transit feature.
iOS 9, with the new Maps transit feature, is expected to be introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8.
WTF, ‘Clickbait’ and ‘Emoji’ are now officially words?
As the English language continues to evolve in response the internet’s cultural onslaught, Merriam-Webster has announced that it’s adding a host of new net-centric terms to its pages. In fact, the dictionary company has recently added a total of 1,700 terms to its word repository. Among them: net neutrality, click fraud, meme, photobomb, NSFW and a host of other words your kids have already been using for years. Numerous other, non-technical words made their way into Merriam-Webster Unabridged as well including jegging, crema, and colossal squid.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Merriam-Webster
Verizon updates EDGE program to make it easier to upgrade
Verizon is historically the last company to compete with T-Mobile and their game changing ways in making smartphones more accessible. Verizon is known for having a superior network, which allows them to charge higher prices to their customers because that is what they value most. With T-Mobile making waves in the wireless mobile sector, even Verizon cannot avoid making it easier to upgrade devices as they need to keep their customers.
Starting May 31st, Verizon customers can upgrade their smartphones or tablets once their EDGE device is fully paid off. The EDGE program is a monthly installment payment system where users pay for their devices over 24 months vs. a traditional 2-year contract where the device is discounted and offered at a lower price with higher connection fees. AT&T and T-Mobile have already allowed their customers to upgrade at anytime once the device is paid off, and Verizon is finally making that option available to its customers. This feature can be useful if you break you device 14 months into ownership – it might make more sense to just pay your device off, and get a new one versus getting a temporary replacement or getting the broken device fixed.
An example, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is 599.99 at full retail cost, but on the EDGE program it is only $24.99 per month with no interest. Once the device is paid off, you can trade in your phone for credit or donate it to Hopeline to help stop domestic violence.
Source – Verizon
The post Verizon updates EDGE program to make it easier to upgrade appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Deal: Pick up a Nexus Player from the Google Store for just $79 ($20 off)
If you’re looking for a better way to consume media content on your television, you can now pick up a Nexus Player, the first Android TV set-top box, from the Google Store for just $79 ($20 off). We’re not exactly sure if this price cut is permanent or not, but this is still a great deal either way.
This discount comes just a few days before Google I/O 2015 begins, interestingly enough. We have yet to hear any rumors regarding a new Nexus Player being in the works, but we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some new Android TV-powered hardware at the developer conference this week.
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Just to be clear, the bundle being offered in the Google Store only comes with the set-top box and the remote. You’ll still need to pay $40 more to get the Nexus Player Gamepad. If you’re looking to save a bit more money, Amazon is still selling the Nexus Player and remote for a few dollars cheaper at around $73.
Head to the link below if you’re interested.
Google to create ‘universal access for people with disabilities’
One billion people worldwide live with a physical or developmental disability. And for those in developing nations, many of these disabilities dictate a life of social and economic marginalization. But Google’s doing something about it. The company announced Tuesday that it is funding a $20 million grant for its latest Impact Challenge, one aimed at making the world more accessible for those with disabilities.
Specifically, the new Google Impact: Disabilities program seeks to “build awareness, identify solutions and help create universal access for people with disabilities.” To that end Google is soliciting people on both sides of the issue — people (or those whose family are) living with a disability as well as innovators, inventors and tinkerers. The Google’s has already teamed up with tech startups like Mission Arm, E-Nable and World Wide Hearing, and now it’s looking to fund more solutions to the tune of $20 million.
The program is effectively split into two halves. Members of the general public are encouraged to submit “What If” questions — essentially suggestions for accessibility issues they’d like solved — while startups and inventors should respond to Google’s Open Call. The program is accepting most and any all ideas until September 30, 2015 at 2:00 pm, Pacific Daylight Time.
[Image Credit: AFP/Getty]
Via: Google Plus
Source: Google Impact Challenge
Microsoft’s apps will ship with Android tablets from LG and Sony
If you thought Microsoft’s app deal with Samsung was surprising… well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Windows maker has reached agreements to bundle its apps and services on Android tablets from 20 companies. Most of these firms are small regional brands, but there are a few global powerhouses that include LG (which will include Microsoft on an unnamed future device) and Sony (starting with the Xperia Z4 Tablet). Yes, this probably means getting the Office suite and other apps you might not use much, if at all. However, it’s evident that Microsoft doesn’t mind — it’d rather make its services as ubiquitous as possible than send you straight into Google’s arms.
Filed under: Tablets, Internet, Software, Mobile, Sony, Microsoft, LG
Source: Official Microsoft Blog
NASA picks the scientific tools it’ll use to study Europa
NASA is convinced that Jupiter’s moon Europa is worth visiting, and for good reason: its icy surface could be hiding a giant ocean friendly to life. The agency is going to need the right equipment if it’s going to verify its theories, however, which is why it just chose nine instruments that will go aboard a Europa mission in 2020. The tools will use a mix of imaging, magnetometry, radar and spectrometry to study the frozen world’s chemical composition and learn more about what’s lurking out of view. While these gadgets won’t completely eliminate the need for underwater probes and other landers, they could save scientists a lot of trouble (and expense) as they search for signs of organic material.
Filed under: Science
Source: NASA
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